Although the Pittsburgh Pirates had superstar ace pitcher Paul Skenes emerge last season in his rookie year, the team had another rookie pitcher put up a solid rookie campaign.
Unlike Skenes, who was called to the big leagues in May, rookie starting pitcher Jared Jones began the season with the Pirates in the majors. Jones immediately made Pirates history in his debut, becoming the first player to strike out ten batters since Tim Wakefield did it in 1992.
A mid-season lat muscle strain held Jones out for nearly two months of the season, missing most of July and August. Before his injury, he had a 3.56 ERA that dipped after he returned, but with the skill he has shown, Jones is poised for a breakout season in his second year in the league, according to MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf.
“Jones had a very solid rookie season, striking out 132 batters over 121 2/3 innings, but a handful of ugly starts inflated his ERA to 4.14,” Stumpf said. “Anyone who watched him last year saw the immense potential he has, and he continued to develop a curveball into a real third pitch as the season progressed. A third pitch would be massive, effectively eliminating those games where he tries to get by with just one offering.”
Jones went 6-8 across the 22 games he pitched in but flashed his potential time and time again. He boasts a solid 3.4 K/BB rating and was fourth among rookie pitchers in strikeouts despite missing significant time. Jones is set to be one of the Pirates top pitchers next season and will look to take the next step in his development.
Story continues below advertisement
More MLB: Pirates’ Paul Skenes Projected To Be Top Athlete For Years To Come
Featured image via John Jones/Imagn Images